Wyoming guard Justin James returns with hopes of a big senior season Brandon Foster Brandon.Foster@Trib.com Jun 25, 2018 Justin James plans on attending next year’s NBA Draft. “In my mind,” he said, “I’m a first-round draft pick for sure.” Thursday, though, he was barely even paying attention to it. James was preoccupied. He was one of the six Wyoming men’s basketball players in attendance at the University of Wyoming athletics pep rally in Casper the night of the draft. The 6-foot-7 guard’s NBA inspirations led him to enter his name into the NBA Draft after his junior season. But on May 30, the final day to make such a decision, James chose to return to Wyoming for one more year. “With the NBA, they really can’t guarantee anything unless you’re a top-10 pick or whatever,” James said. “Nobody would be able to guarantee me any place or any spot. I just felt like the best decision was for me to come back and raise my stock up another year and have 10 to 12 teams wanting me.” James worked out for San Antonio, Houston and Boston. He said that San Antonio was interested, Houston was “kind of” interested, and Boston didn’t show much interest. It’s not uncommon now for underclassmen to submit their names for early entry, if only to get a sense of what the process will be like before retracting their names from the draft. James was able to return within the time frame because he did not sign with an agent. “It was definitely a good process for me, going there and working out, playing with all the high-level talent that’s there and just seeing what I could do against those big-time players,” James said. “Just getting the feedback from the NBA executives and the NBA scouts and stuff and just knowing what I can work on this year to improve my stock, I just feel like this whole process was good in the aspect of what I need to learn going forward and what I’m good at currently.” There are two areas in particular that James needs to improve. “They said I needed to gain 10 to 12 pounds of muscle,” said James, who did not receive an invite to the NBA Combine. “They said they wanted me playing at 190, 195. And then they said a more consistent NBA 3 (point shot). They said the college 3 is fine, but the NBA 3 is a few feet back, so just getting that more consistent.” Even though he returned, getting to test the NBA waters gave James some motivation headed into his senior year. “Hearing what you need to work on and what you need to improve on definitely gives me motivation for the upcoming season,” James said, “to silence the doubters and prove to yourself or whoever you need to. Just to be the best player you can be.” This offseason, he’ll be able to work on honing his game. Once the season starts, though, James’ focus will shift to leading the Cowboys. He was already an important part of the team as a junior, leading Wyoming in scoring en route to first-team all-conference honors. This year, though, James will be one of only three seniors. The Cowboys’ other seniors in 2018-19 will be Jordan Naughton, who missed much of last year with a back injury, and Nyaires Redding, who is just in his second year of eligibility at Wyoming. “It’s definitely going to be fun,” James said. “It’s definitely going to be challenging, showing these new guys what it takes to win and all of our defensive schemes, our new offensive stuff. “… It’s just going to be a really fun task and a task I’m really looking forward to doing. We have a group of guys who are really athletic. This is by far the most athletic team that I’ve been a part of at the University of Wyoming, and we have a team that’s eager to learn. That’s really good, and I really feel like we have that curiosity and that hunger to get better. So that’s really nice.” The team now includes eight new players thanks to the newest recruiting class. “We’re getting pretty close,” James said. “Most of us live in The Verge apartments, so we’re kind of around each other all the team when we’re in the locker room or even off the court. I’m getting to know them pretty well.” James’ leadership will be key to that group clicking next season. And his play will, once again, be key to the Cowboys’ success. If the cheer for James at Thursday’s pep rally is any indication, Wyoming fans are more than happy to have him back. “All the support that I get from the fans just encourages me to work harder and be a better player,” James said. “They’re excited for my senior season, and I am as well.”
I just ran across this, so sorry for the late response on the article above. Still celebrating the fact that Houston was one of the teams looking at him. Go Rockets! JJ is the only player in the NCAA averaging at least 24 points 10 rebounds and 4 assists. You go Cuz!
James ready to improve his game, take on new challenge with Cowboys Share Tweet June 16, 2018 COURTESY/ Shannon Broderick/ Laramie Boomerang Wyoming guard Justin James shoots over New Mexico guard Dane Kuiper on Feb. 20 at the Arena-Auditorium in Laramie. LARAMIE – Justin James got the feedback he wanted. Now, the University of Wyoming senior guard is back on campus working on what NBA coaches and staff told him to improve in order to give professional basketball at the highest level a shot next year. The 6-foot-7, 180-pound James was one of approximately 150 underclassmen who, at the very least, tested the NBA draft waters to see how they stacked up. James didn't hire an agent and recently returned to UW for his senior season. James worked out for three NBA teams – Boston, Houston and San Antonio. "It is kind of sudden," James said of his experience. "Teams contact you letting you know they want to work you out. You fly out the next day or two, and you're there for a day or two. "You work out for about three hours and then are in meetings with the coaches and other staff. Then they give you the feedback of what you need to work on and improve on." James said all three teams said he was talented, but needed to add 10 to 15 pounds of muscle and be a more consistent 3-point shooter. Even though James was a first team All-Mountain West pick last season and led the Cowboys at 18.9 points per game, he shot just 30.8 percent from 3-point range. The NBA 3-pointer is three feet further out than in college. Third-year UW coach Allen Edwards also heard the feedback, and said James needs to be a better free-throw shooter. James led the Cowboys with 146 made free throws and 201 attempts. His 72.6 percent mark from the free-throw line was second-best for Cowboys with at least 100 attempts. Edwards said the NBA wants James to be closer to 85 percent. Edwards wants him to be closer to 90 percent this season. Edwards also said the NBA wants James to be a more consistent perimeter shooter – not just from 3-point range. James shot 47.2 percent last year, and Edwards said that percentage had more to do with shot selection than consistency. There's something else Edwards has been emphasizing with James. Becoming a professional," he said. "Not a basketball player, but becoming a professional in terms of how he carries himself." James said he wasn't discouraged with the things he was told to work on. He said it is motivation heading into this season. James is part of a team that returns five other players who saw playing time last season, and only one who logged 20 or minutes per game in sophomore guard Hunter Maldonado. The team signed eight players as part of its 2017-18 recruiting class. "I know this task is challenging, and I'm willing to take it on to show this team how to win games and championships," James said. "We have a lot of new guys, but there's talent and this is by far the most athletic team we've had since I've been here. "They are eager to learn, and I'm excited for the season." Edwards said James has done "a great job" of working hard and developing relationships with his teammates since returning to campus a couple of weeks ago. He also likes how James has been a leader by example. Edwards said after the end of this past season, where UW went 20-13, James needed to become a better leader and get teammates more involved early in games instead of focusing on scoring. Those opinions haven't changed, but it will be interesting to see how that goes in less than five months when the games start. And, how James balances that with the areas of his game that NBA people said he needs to improve. "It is a double-edged sword with him because of what he's trying to do in the sense of the next level," Edwards said. "Sometimes the information coming from there may not be what you need here for him to be successful."
Sorry for the late articles, but it’s kind of cool to look back and see the progression on what he’s trying to accomplish to become a professional basketball player. I couldn’t be more excited right now on how he’s not only playing, but the way he’s handling himself on the court. You can see he’s really trying to do exactly what NBA teams we’re telling him too do. Pick up those shooting percentages and let the chips fall where they may.
Double post James leads the Cowboys in scoring, assists and rebounds this season. He leads the MW in scoring at 24.9 points per game, ranks second in the MW in rebounds at 10 per night and sixth in assists at 4.0. James 24.9 points per game is tenth in the country. James Leads the nation in both free throws made and attempted. He is 62-of-79 from the charity stripe this season for 79 percent. He recorded a career-high 34 points and career-best 20 rebounds at Evansville.
Back to the present James thrives early this season for Cowboys As a senior, and regarded as one of the best players in the Mountain West, a lot was expected of University of Wyoming guard Justin James this season. So far, the 6-foot-7 James hasn’t disappointed. James averages a double-double and team-highs with 24.9 points and 10 rebounds per game. He also leads the Cowboys with four assists and one steal per contest. James is the only active player in the country who averages more than 24 points per game, along with 10 rebounds and four assists per contest. And, he is one of four active players in the country with more than 1,500 points, 500 rebounds and 200 assists in his career. James is coming off career-highs of 34 points and 20 rebounds in UW’s 86-78 loss Wednesday at Evansville. UW (2-5) hosts Northern Colorado (4-1) at 4 p.m. today at the Arena-Auditorium. Maturity and experience are factors in James’ fast start and big-time production, but third-year coach Allen Edwards said there is something else. “The biggest thing is his approach to everything has been really good,” he said. “We, as a staff, often use the word ‘submit.’ You have to submit to what we’re doing. As a senior, and us talking to him, that was emphasized. Even if it doesn’t look like it’s supposed to look, you have to stay the course. “He’s been a leader in that respect, and he’s studying the game a lot more. When we’re preparing, he’s making points about personnel, even before we address it. He’s talking to guys about how we need to be focused and on edge. He’s showing his buy-in to our newer guys. “He’s doing a lot of things where last year I thought it was all about scoring. I think that’s where he’s grown.” James tested the NBA draft waters over the summer, and Edwards said that “job interview-type experience” helped James realize he needs to be better prepared. James said experience has helped there, and added: “The film doesn’t lie. Ninety-nine percent of the time, when you see a team do something, they’re going to do it in games.” While James seems to have the preparation part down, it is now up to him and the coaches to help the rest of the players understand that. UW has seven players on the roster who have seen their first-ever playing time at the Division I level this season. “They are starting to understand what reads to look at and how to attack certain defenses,” James said. “They’re seeing the dedication we put into the preparation for these games, and it motivates them to learn new things.”
Hume with 23 points leads N. Colorado past Wyoming 85-80 LARAMIE, Wyo. -- Freshman Bodie Hume scored a career-best 23 points and Northern Colorado held on to edge Wyoming 85-80 on Saturday night. Hume was 6 of 12 from the field including four from distance for the Bears (5-1). Jordan Davis added 21 points, 11 rebounds and seven assists, Trent Harris scored 13 points and Kai Edwards had 10 points and seven rebounds. The Bears trailed through much of the first half but closed in late. A Davis jumper gave them a 29-25 lead with :48 left and they were up 31-28 at halftime. Cole Bergan scored eight points of a 10-2 Northern Colorado surge early in the second half to push it to 50-40 with 11:32 to play and the Bears never trailed after that. Wyoming tied it 52-all with 8:20 left but Hume answered with a 3-pointer to put the Bears on top for good. Justin James led the Cowboys (2-6) with 25 points, eight rebounds and five assists.
Cowboys Fall Short in Final Minutes to Northern Colorado, 85-80 James leads Pokes with 25 points FINAL STATS SEASON STATS POSTGAME NOTES AND QUOTES BUY TICKETS Next Game: University of South Carolina 12/5/2018 | 7 p.m. Stadium LIVE STATS LISTEN LIVE FULL SCHEDULE ROSTER LARAMIE, Wyo. (Dec. 1, 2018) – The Cowboys eliminated a double-digit deficit in the second half for the third-straight contest, but timely three pointers by Northern Colorado was too much for the Pokes to overcome in a 85-80 loss on Saturday evening in the Arena-Auditorium. Senior Justin James led all scorers with 25 points on the night for his 33rd game with over 20 points in his career. "I told the team after the game that I do love their fight and their willingness to compete, especially given some of the circumstances for a kid like Maldo (Hunter Maldonado)," UW head coach Allen Edwards said. "He's hurting, and he still was able to play 30 minutes and be very productive out on the floor tonight. I want to thank our fans for coming out again tonight, and I hope they can really rally with this group of players. I hope they know what a difference their support means to our young men." "But what I also talked with the guys about afterwards in the locker room was we have to get rid of the self-inflicted wounds," Edwards said. "I thought we did a great job defending the three-point line in the first half, but then in the second half they (Northern Colorado) had a spurt where they made three or four threes in a row and it was due to our lack of urgency. They are a very good three-point shooting team, but what kept the game a close game until the end was how we defended the three-point line early." James added 20 of his points in the second half, including 14 in the final 10 minutes of the contest. James was 10-of-16 from the field and added a team-best eight rebounds. James also added five assists Sophomore Hunter Maldonado added 20 points in 30 gritty minutes for the Pokes. It was his second 20-point scoring game of his career. "He played another remarkable game, and he's doing it within our offense," Edwards said. "He's not selfish. He is more than a willing passer. He's helping guys get open shots, and he's rebounding the basketball. I've told him to continue to stay the course and stick with the process because in the end he is helping us get better as a basketball team." Redshirt freshman Hunter Thompson tied a career-high with 15 points and grabbed a career-best six rebounds. Senior Nyaires Redding and junior A.J. Banks each added nine points. It was a career-high for Banks, as Redding hit a career-high three triples. Wyoming held one of the nation's top three point shooting teams to only eight on the night. The Bears shot 47 percent from the field, while the Pokes shot 44 percent. The teams combined to shoot 86 percent from the free throw line with UNC getting to the stripe 27 times to the Pokes' 16. Northern Colorado used the free throw line to take a 6-3 lead on the Pokes in the opening three minutes. Four of the bear's points came from the charity stripe. The Cowboys tied the contest at 6-6 on Banks three pointer with 16:12 left in the first frame. Maldonado gave the Pokes a 13-10 advantage with just over 12 minutes remaining in the half. The junior came off the bench, as Mr. Cowboy Tough scored four-straight points. The Pokes took an eight point lead on a 10-point run for a 23-15 contest with under seven minutes remaining in the frame. Redding and Thompson both hit their second threes of the game to highlight the run. The Bears went on a 6-0 run over three minutes to make it a two-point game at 23-21 with under four remaining. Maldonado halted the scoring streak with the Cowboys first free throws of the game. But an 8-0 run by the Bear gave UNC a 29-25 lead with under a minute left in the half and took a 31-28 advantage in to the break. The Pokes went 3-of-4 from the field including two three pointers to take a 36-34 lead after halftime. Northern Colorado responded with a 14-2 run to take a 48-38 advantage with 12:14 left in the game. James led Wyoming on a 6-0 run with two from the line and a layup, he also found Maldonado for a layup to make it a 50-46 game with just under 10 minutes left. The Pokes battled to tie the game at 52-52 with four-straight free throws with just over eight minutes remaining. But the Bears added back-to-back three to build the lead back to six just seconds later. Northern Colorado would add two more threes back-to-back for four-straight to build the advantage to 64-56 with six minutes remaining. The Pokes would cut it to four points on a pair of occasion, but once again the three ball helped Northern Colorado build the lead back to 10 points with 90 seconds remaining. The Pokes would not go away late, as James was sensational pulling Wyoming within two points with 16 seconds left, as he and Redding hit clutch three pointers in the final 30 seconds, but the Bears got it done at the line to earn the 85-80 win. UNC was led by one of the nation's top scorers, as Jordan Davis had 21 points, 11 rebounds and seven assists. Bodie Hume added 23 points and five rebounds. He went 4-of-8 from behind the arc and hit four-straight to close the game. Wyoming returns to action on Wednesday hosting SEC foe South Carolina in the Arena-Auditorium. The contest will be streamed on Stadium and Facebook.
MWC Wire Top 25 Basketball Countdown: #6 - Justin James James, a Florida native, enters his senior season as the star of this year’s Wyoming squad. Prior to declaring for the NBA Draft, James averaged 18.9 points, 6.0 rebounds, 3.1 assists, and 1.1 steals per game for the Cowboys. James missed one game with an injury, but started in each of his other 32 appearances. Now back for his senior year after testing the NBA Draft waters, James is looking to guide Wyoming to another 20-win season. The 6-7 wing has bulked up over the offseason, adding 15 pounds to his frame. With an abundance of offseason goodbyes in Laramie, don’t be surprised if James carries one of the heavier offensive workloads in the country this year. He could end up with one of the highest points per game averages in the nation.
COWBOYS BATTLE SEC FOE SOUTH CAROLINA ON WEDNESDAY Story Links WYOMING GAME NOTES STADIUM ON FACEBOOK LIVE AUDIO LIVE STATS BUY TICKETS LARAMIE, Wyo. (Dec. 3, 2018) – The Cowboys will faceoff against SEC foe South Carolina in the Arena-Auditorium on Wednesday night at 7 p.m. It will be a reunion for head coach Allen Edwards, as his brother Doug is on the staff for South Carolina and he was coached in high school by Gamecock head coach Frank Martin. South Carolina was the last SEC team to play in the "Dome of Dome" facing the Pokes in 2002. Tickets are available to Saturday's game by: going online at GoWyo.com/tickets, emailing tickets@uwyo.edu, calling 307-766-7220 or stopping by the UW Athletics Ticket Office on the west side of the Arena-Auditorium. The game will be streamed by Stadium and can be seen exclusively on Facebook with Chris Hasssel on the call and Tim Scarborough on Color with Olivia Dekker on the sidelines Fans can watch, listen to the game and follow stats on GoWyo.com. The game will be broadcast live on radio over the 25 affiliate stations of the Cowboy Sports Network, as Dave Walsh and Kevin McKinney will call the action. A Look at the Matchup Wyoming heads into the contest with a 2-6 overall record after falling to Northern Colorado at home on Saturday. The Pokes continue to take care of the basketball, as Wyoming ranks third in the MW and No. 33 in the nation with only 11.3 per game. The Cowboys rank No. 32 in the nation and third in the MW in free throws made with 143. Wyoming has attempted 194 on the season for No. 42 in the nation and are hitting their freebies at a 74 percent clip for No. 58 in the nation. The Gamecocks are 4-3 on the season after defeating Coastal Carolina at home last Friday evening. South Carolina protects the rim, as they rank No. 36 in the nation averaging 5.1 blocks per game. South Carolina ranks No. 48 in the country in turnovers forced per game at 16.4. They also rank No. 35 nationally in field goal percentage defense holding opponents to 38 percent from the field. Offensively, the Gamecocks shoot 43 percent from the field. Each Team's Leaders James leads the Cowboys in points, rebounds and assists. He leads the MW and ranks tenth in the nation in scoring at 24.9 per game. He also ranks third in the conference in rebounds at 9.6 per game and is sixth in the league at 4.1 assists per night. He is second in the nation in free throws made with 66 on the year and ranks third in the country in attempts at 85. Sophomore Hunter Maldonado adds 15.2 points per game to rank second on the Cowboys. He is ninth in the MW in rebounds at 7.5 per night. Redshirt freshman Hunter Thompson adds 13.3 points per game and has a career-high 15 points in back-to-back games. South Carolina is led in scoring by freshman A.J. Lawson at 14.9 points per game. He also adds 4.4 rebounds per night and has a team-high 26 assists. Chris Silva adds 10.1 points per game and leads the team with 5.7 boards per game. He leads the team with 12 blocks this season. About the Series Wednesday's game is the fourth meeting between the two schools. South Carolina leads the series at 2-1 including an 80-64 win last season in Columbia. The Pokes won the last meeting in Laramie in 2002 by a score of 77-63 Up Next The Cowboys return to action next Tuesday hosting Front Range foe Denver in the Arena-Auditorium for a 7 p.m. start.
Early foul trouble and still produces one hell of a game. Great job Justin! 20 points 12 rebounds and 5 assist for Facebook’s player of the game
Cowboys Get Defensive in 73-64 Win Over South Carolina James Leads All-Scorers with 20 points FINAL STATS SEASON STATS POSTGAME NOTES AND QUOTES BUY TICKETS Next Game: University of Denver 12/11/2018 | 7 p.m. LIVE STATS LISTEN LIVE WATCH LIVE FULL SCHEDULE ROSTER LARAMIE, Wyo. (Dec. 5, 2018) – The Wyoming Cowboys held South Carolina of the SEC to 33 percent from the field, a season-low for a Wyoming opponent in a 73-64 win on Wednesday evening in the Arena-Auditorium in Laramie. Senior Justin Jamesand Junior Jake Hendricks combined 36 points for the Pokes in the victory. Wyoming moves to 2-0 all-time against South Carolina in the Arena-Auditorium with the last win coming in 2002. "One of the things I complimented the guys on after the game was I thought this was one of our smarter efforts," Wyoming head coach Allen Edwards said. "We did a better job of switching our defenses, and within our zone defense the guys adjusted well to how we wanted to play, depending on who South Carolina had in the game. From a mental standpoint the guys picked things up quickly tonight, and made the adjustments they needed to." The Cowboys tied a season-high with 10 three pointers and shot a season-best 50 percent from behind the arc. The Pokes also tied a season-high with 14 assists. The 64 points allowed by Wyoming was the lowest by an opponent this season, as Wyoming held the Gamecocks to 3-of-20 from behind the arc. Wyoming also erased a nine point first half deficit to lead by as many as 12 points in the second half. James led all scorers with 20 points on the night. He also added 12 rebounds for his fourth double-double of the season and the 11th of his career. James also added a game-high five assists on the night. Hendricks was 5-of-8 from behind the arc tying a career-high, as he added 16 points. Freshman Trevon "TJ" Taylor added 11 points on the night with four rebounds. Senior Nyaires Redding added nine points for the third –straight game tying a season-high. Sophomore Hunter Maldonado also added nine points, five rebounds and four assists. "J.J. (Justin James) played within himself, and I thought a lot of other individuals stepped up," Edwards said. "TJ (Taylor) as a freshman had a really good game, and it was good to see Jake (Hendricks) get back to making some threes. When he's doing that it makes us a different basketball team. (Hunter) Thompson, while he got in foul trouble, he stretched their defense by taking some shots from the perimeter and that opened things up in the lane for guys like J.J. and Maldo (Hunter Maldonado)." Wyoming shot 43 percent from the field and were 13-of-17 from the free throw line for 77 percent. The Gamecocks went 17-of-20 from the line on the night for 85 percent. South Carolina also held a 43-31 advantage on the glass for the night. The Gamecocks raced out to an 8-0 lead on the Pokes in the opening three minutes of the ball game. Maik Kotsar added four of South Carolina's points, as he added two rebounds during that stretch. The run was halted by a triple from redshirt freshman Hunter Thompson. Maldonado added a three-pointer to make it an 8-6 contest with 14:07 left in the frame. The Gamecocks went on a 7-0 run after that to take a 15-9 advantage with about 12 minutes left in the first half. The Pokes answered with a 6-0 run to pull within three at 15-12. Thompson highlighted the effort with a tough and-one post play. The Pokes would later pull within one point at 20-19, but South Carolina used an 8-0 run, mostly from the line to build the lead to 28-19 with six minutes in the first frame. Wyoming would hit four-straight field goals and added some free throws to make it a one-point contest at 34-33 with 1:17 left. James hit an off balance three pointer that he didn't think fell to highlight the comeback. The Gamecocks would hit a three-pointer to close the half and take a 37-33 lead into the break. The Pokes held the Gamecocks to 37 percent from the field in the first half, but South Carolina went 9-of-11 from the line. The Pokes forced four turnovers in the first three minutes of the second half, which fuel the Pokes to a 6-0 run and take a 42-41 lead on a Hendricks three-pointer with 16:07 left in the game. From there, the Pokes added five more points to make it a 47-41 contest with 13:56 left. James brought the "Dome of Doom" to their feet with a fast break tomahawk alley-oop slam from Maldonado. The Pokes extended the lead to nine on another Hendricks three-pointer for a 50-41 contest. It was a part of a 17-2 Brown and Gold run. James later extended the lead to 12 points on a James triple that put him into double-figures for a 56-44 game with 11 minutes remaining. The Gamecocks would come within seven points with just under 10 minutes remaining, but the Pokes moved it to 12 points minutes later. But the Pokes would go scoreless for four minutes, as South Carolina pulled within six points at 63-57 with under four minutes left, but Hendricks hit his fifth three of the game to make it a nine point lead at 66-57 with just over two minutes left. South Carolina would cut the deficit to six points with 1:14 remaining, but five free throws from Redding and James sealed the game for the Pokes in the 73-64 victory. The Gamecocks were led by guard A.J. Lawson with 15 points to go along with nine rebounds. Chris Silva added 11 points and eight rebounds, as he grabbed five boards on the offensive end of the floor. The Cowboys return to action next Tuesday night host Denver in the Arena-Auditorium for a 7 p.m. start.
Wyoming comes back in second half to beat South Carolina LARAMIE, Wyo. -- Wyoming rattled a young South Carolina team with a stingy defense for a much-needed win on its home court. Senior Justin James scored 20 points, grabbed 12 rebounds and dished out five assists as Wyoming came back in the second half to beat the Gamecocks 73-64 Wednesday night. James scored 15 of his points in the second half to help Wyoming (3-6) overcome a 37-33 halftime deficit. The Cowboys opened the second half with a 17-4 run thanks to a defense that forced nine turnovers in the first 6-plus minutes and extended their lead to as many as 12 points. The Gamecocks could get no closer than two possessions the rest of the game. "Tonight I told our guys I thought this was a very smart performance by us, and I thought we did a great job adjusting a little bit on the fly defensively and offensively," Wyoming coach Allen Edwards said. Jake Hendricks contributed 16 points, and TJ Taylor 11 for Wyoming, which made 10 of 20 3-pointers on the night. "We got open shots, really wide open shots, because we were moving the ball so well. None of us rushed shots. We all made sure we had good balanced shots and when we're open like that they're a lot easier to make," Hendricks, who was 5-of-8 from 3-point range, said. Edwards said Wyoming entered the game needing to improve on defense while on offense "JJ did what JJ does, and I thought they lost Jake a couple of times and he made them pay shooting the basketball." South Carolina (4-4) was led by A.J. Lawson's 15 points and nine rebounds. Chris Silva had 11 points and eight rebounds. The Gamecocks, who started three freshmen, converted just 3 of 20 of their 3-point attempts. "Our freshmen got rattled in the second half today, they froze," South Carolina coach Frank Martin said. "But that's where your upper classmen have to lead, have to show the way, have to give courage for your freshmen to win. And we were impacted by missing shots today, we stopped defending. And you do that on the road and Justin James, he's that kind of a player, he'll take over the game and makes you pay for it." BIG PICTURE South Carolina loses a game that is the longest distance it's traveled in the regular season schedule. The Gamecocks travel no farther than Oklahoma State later in January the rest of the season. Wyoming improved to 2/3 on its home court so far this season. In 37 years of play at Arena-Auditorium, the Cowboys have won 74.7 percent of their games. "We got to defend home court a lot more," Hendricks said. "Tonight was a big win, proving that we can do that, and we have to do it more consistently now."
Cowboys Close Out Homestand Hosting Denver 156th meeting between two schools WYOMING GAME NOTES LIVE VIDEO LIVE AUDIO LIVE STATS BUY TICKETS LARAMIE, Wyo. (Dec. 10, 2018) – The Cowboys wrap up their three-game homestand on Tuesday evening hosting Front Range foe Denver in the Arena-Auditorium for a 7 p.m. start. It will mark the last home game for the Cowboys for 18 days. Tickets are available to Saturday's game by: going online at GoWyo.com/tickets, emailing tickets@uwyo.edu, calling 307-766-7220 or stopping by the UW Athletics Ticket Office on the west side of the Arena-Auditorium. The game will be streamed on the MW Network with Jonathan Schillace on the call and Liv Roberts on Color Fans can watch, listen to the game and follow stats on GoWyo.com. The game will be broadcast live on radio over the 25 affiliate stations of the Cowboy Sports Network, as Dave Walsh and Kevin McKinney will call the action. A Look at the Matchup Wyoming is coming off a 74-63 home win over South Carolina last Wednesday. The Pokes are 3-6 overall on the season. Wyoming got defensive in that contest with the Gamecocks holding them to a season-low shooting percentage of 33 percent. Wyoming also held South Carolina to 64 points, also a season-low by a Cowboy opponent. The Pokes have hit 10-threes in each of the last two games and are shooting 48 percent from behind the arc in those two contests. Wyoming ranks third in the MW and No. 43 in the nation turning the ball over only 11.6 times per game. Wyoming also ranks third in the MW and No. 41 nationally in free throws made at 164. The Pioneers head to Laramie with a 3-7 overall record after defeating Western State 93-69 on Sunday afternoon. Denver also fell to Air Force last week on the road 73-65. DU is shooting 39 percent from the three-point line ranking No. 35 in the nation. Denver is shooting 45 percent from the field on the season, as opponents also shoot the same percentage. DU is hitting eight three pointers per game, while the opposition has averaged 10.2 per night. Each Team's Leaders Wyoming is led by senior Justin James in scoring, rebounding and assists. He ranks 12th in the nation in scoring at 24.3 points per game. He is also grabbing 10 rebounds per game and adds 8.4 of those defensively, ranking fifth in the nation. James also adds 4.2 assists per night for third in the MW. Sophomore Hunter Maldonado adds 14.3 points per game and 7.1 rebounds. Junior Jake Hendricks adds 11.6 points per night, as he ranks third in the MW averaging 2.8 threes per game. He tied a career-high with five against South Carolina. Redshirt freshman Hunter Thompson adds 11.5 points per night to go along with four rebounds per game. Denver is led in scoring by Ronnie Harrell Jr., as the Creighton transfer adds 14.4 points per game and a team-high 5.7 rebounds. Ade Murkey adds 12 points per game and 4.8 rebounds. He is shooting 52 percent from the field. Joe Rosga adds 11.8 per night, he is shooting 43 percent from behind the three-point line. About the Series Tuesday's game marks the 156th meeting between the two schools in a series that dates back to 1915. The Pokes lead the all-time series 104-51 and have posted a 64-15 record in Laramie. Wyoming has won three of the last four meetings with Denver taking the contest last season at home by a score of 88-78. Up Next The Cowboys head to the Lone Star State for the Don Haskins Sun Bowl Invitational. The Pokes open against East Tennessee State for a 5 p.m. start on Dec. 21.
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